Pretoria - Load shedding will be reduced to Stage 1 from 10pm on Friday evening due to a lower weekend demand and this will continue until 5am on Monday.
“It is possible to reduce the stage of load shedding during the weekend due to the lower demand and in anticipation of generation units returning to service during the weekend,” Eskom said in a statement.
The power utility said that since Thursday morning, a generation unit each at Matla, Hendrina and Arnot power stations have returned to service.
“However, a generation unit each at Kendal and Matimba power stations tripped, while the non-commercial unit at Kusile power station was taken offline. Further, delays in returning two generators to service at the Tutuka Power Station have added to the capacity constraints,” Eskom added.
Eskom said it expects to rely on the use of emergency generating reserves to supplement available supply and to limit the stage of load shedding during this period.
“We currently have 4 323MW on planned maintenance, while another 15 410MW of capacity is unavailable due to breakdowns,” said Eskom.
The power utility encouraged the public to continue using electricity sparingly to reduce the occurrence of load shedding.
IOL